MarineQuest Saturday
Event Details
During our annual open house, the research headquarters are open to the public so visitors can learn about Florida’s interesting plants and animals, like musk turtles, manatees, mangroves, and much more!
Inside the labs, scientists can guide you through interactive displays and answer questions about their research. Here, you can learn about timely conservation topics, like red tide or coral disease, and engage with the experts leading these programs. Outside, explore touch tanks filled with Florida marine life, such as starfish, rays, horseshoe crabs, spiny lobster, and sport fish.
MarineQuest offers something for all ages, including interactive activities specifically designed for younger ages, like gyotaku, an artistic fish-printing technique originally used by Japanese fisherman to record their catches. Visitors can also participate in a mock manatee rescue with our marine mammal rescue team!
MarineQuest 2026 Indoor Displays
Artificial Intelligence in Conservation
Floor Three
Dress like a Scientist
Floor One
Pop on your life jacket, lab coat, or goggles for this fun photo opportunity to dress like a marine scientist!
Electron Microscopy
Floor Three
Electron Microscopy explores the microscopic world and introduces the public to three types of microscopes used in identifying specimens too small to see with the naked eye. The activity is an overview and comparison of three different microscopes we have here at FWRI: the light microscope, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope.
Explore Coral Reefs
Floor Four
Dive into the underwater world of Florida's Coral Reef! Take a look at a real coral skeleton, practice your restoration skills, and learn about one of the longest-running coral reef monitoring projects in the world.
Fish and Wildlife Health
Floor Three
Histology: See how scientists use microscopes to view histological slides and look up close at fish organs and diseases.
Parasites/Skeletal Deformities: Examine real preserved specimens of fish with parasites/deformities and pictures of fish skeletal deformities/diseases!
Microbiology/Bacteria: Gaze on bioluminescent bacteria, displays of bacteria plates of swabs from everyday objects, and displays of differential media used by scientists.
Necropsy Lab: Come participate in a “larger than life” dissection of our giant red snapper and play a matching game for to identify fish anatomy.
Augmented Reality Display: Use your cell phone to interact with “Fred the Redfish” to view histology pictures of various internal organs.
Fish Feeding Ecology
Floor Two
Get immersed in the biology of fish in Tampa Bay with a hands-on demonstration examining tooth shapes and feeding strategies of each species! Learn how the Gut Lab collects and identifies different diets, and even how we can identify partially digested food using our collection of jawbones! You will also learn how this essential dietary data is used to help fisheries management decisions in Florida.
Genetics
Floor Three
You can demo a DNA extraction guided by staff scientists. Then walk through a giant cell to learn about cellular components, and identify your DNA sample with a matching game.
Marine Finfish Biology
Floor Two
Do you know how to tell how old a fish is? Ask our scientists how at the Finfish Biology booth! Visitors will learn the critical role of marine habitats in conservation and hear from scientists about acoustic telemetry research we do.
Offshore Fisheries Monitoring
Floor Three
Come play fish bingo at the Offshore Fisheries Monitoring station! Practice your scientific skills by helping us find different fish species in our underwater monitoring videos. Learn about our research, fish populations and health, and unique data collection gear as we study eastern offshore habitats of the Gulf!
Red Tide Monitoring
Floor One
Dive into the world of microscopic algae! Visitors will be able to view harmful algal bloom species like red tide under a microscope and get a first-hand look at some of the technology used to monitor algal blooms in Florida marine and estuarine waters.
Seagrass Ecosystems
Floor One
Come join the Seagrass Ecology Lab to learn about the importance of seagrass ecosystems! Dive into our seagrass research and learn how to assess seagrass health and habitat across the State of Florida.
MarineQuest 2026 Outdoor Displays
Archery
At the archery station you will learn to use a bow and arrow and shoot at archery targets on the range. All equipment is provided, including youth and adult bows. There is a minimum height requirement, but most youth over 6 will be tall enough to participate.
Catch a Florida Memory
Catch a Florida Memory is FWC’s saltwater angler recognition program that celebrates Florida’s incredible recreational fishing opportunities. Open to all ages and experience levels (from 3 to 90!), anglers can earn rewards and recognition by submitting photos of their catches while learning how they can help support marine conservation.
Coastal Wetlands
Come learn about mangroves, the “walking trees” that thrive in saltwater along the coastlines the world. Explore the types of mangroves that live in Florida and some of the ways they help us. Learn how mangroves spread using floating propagules and pick up tips for how to tell the species apart.
Conservation Social Science
Come visit the social scientists at FWC and learn how we are involved in conservation! Test your knowledge, learn about our research, interact with researchers, and see examples of social science in action here in Florida.
Fisheries-Dependent Monitoring
Come learn how your fishing data is used at the Fisheries-Dependent Monitoring booth! Speak with biologists, practice extracting otoliths, and make your own fish necklace while learning more about how we "depend" on local anglers to better manage our marine resources.
Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida
Come learn about the exciting work the Foundation is doing to conserve wild Florida. Especially our efforts to protect Florida's favorite marine mammal, the manatee. While you're here, sift through the "eelgrass" to find a manatee to take home, and maybe even enjoy a seagrass inspired snack!
Florida Biodiversity Collection
Tour the collection and see a selection of natural history specimens of fish and invertebrates from Florida waters and beyond! Please sign-up for tours and pick-up your free ticket under the Joint Use Building to reserve your spot. Tour space is limited and entrance is by reservation ticket only.
Florida Keys Fisheries Research
Dive into the beautiful and diverse ecosystem of the Florida Keys! Learn about incredible animals such as the Queen Conch, Spiny Lobster, Long Spined Sea Urchin, Stone crabs and more! Visit our touch tanks to see these animals up-close!
Florida Panther Research
Florida panthers are the larger of Florida’s two native cat species (panthers and bobcats). Come talk to Florida Panther biologists about this endangered species and learn about conservation efforts like genetic rescue, research on survival rates, habitat protection and more.
Freshwater Fisheries Research
In our Freshwater Fisheries Booth, join our researchers and explore some of Florida's most interesting fresh water communities!
Freshwater Plants
The Freshwater Plants exhibit features the different types of aquatic plants found in Florida's freshwater ecosystems and their benefits to fish and wildlife. Check out the live samples on display!
Inshore Fisheries Monitoring
Step into the role of a Fisheries Independent Monitoring biologist and discover different ways that fish populations are monitored across major Florida estuaries and why this information is so important. See and touch a variety of live invertebrate species commonly found in Florida waters.
Kids Zone
Kids Zone has activities for youth to have fun and create! Choose a fish and make a fish print at our Gyotaku station. Pick from one of the various fish and wildlife FWRI researches, color it in to make it your own, and we’ll finish it off by turning it into a magnet for you! And choose from our selection of fish and wildlife tattoos to wear around the event!
Let's Go HAB Hunting
Ever wonder what it’s like being a Harmful Algal Bloom researcher at sea? Here’s your chance to climb aboard a real FWRI research vessel and see the state of the art tools and instruments they use when studying red tides and the ocean!
Manatee Research and Conservation
Marine Turtle Research
Come chat with sea turtle biologists and learn about Florida’s sea turtles, including basic sea turtle biology, threats to their survival, and what you can do to help save sea turtles!
Reptile, Amphibian, and Terrestrial Invertebrate Research
Get up close with some of Florida’s native reptiles and amphibians, including alligators, a gopher tortoise, freshwater turtles, and snakes. You’ll also learn about Florida’s invertebrates (like insects) and the important role they play in our environment. Discover what makes these species unique, and learn how invasive species can impact Florida’s wildlife and habitats.
Right Whale Research and Conservation
Come and meet the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, a species that spends the winter off of Florida's Atlantic coast. Learn about the threats they face, as well as the field and analytical work done by FWRI scientists to conserve them. You can find us next to the big inflatable whale!
Sandhill Crane Research
Discover one of Florida’s tallest and most charismatic birds. Learn about the habitats they depend on, the threats they face, and the tools researchers use to study and protect this imperiled species. Experience hands-on demonstrations of capture and banding techniques used in conservation work.
Sharks and Rays
Explore the unique characteristics of a vast variety of sharks through a hands-on learning experience. Scientists will share identification tips and research methods using real sharks!
Shellfish Fisheries Research
Walk through seagrasses and traps to learn about scallops, oysters, stone crabs, blue crabs and horseshoe crabs. Remember a fact to play our trap toss game, make the shot and win a prize!
Stock Enhancement Research
Come learn how Stock Enhancement Research scientists raise marine sport fish such as red drum and spotted seatrout, from eggs to fingerling fish using computer automation software along with the latest in marine aquaculture technology. The new Marine Fisheries Enhancement Center is located in Apollo Beach Florida, and will raise and release marine sport fish to support Florida’s world famous recreational fishery.
TrophyCatch
TropyCatch is an FWC program that engages bass anglers as citizen scientists, rewarding them for recording information about the catch and release of bass that are 8 pounds or heavier in Florida. Its sister program, Big Catch, recognizes anglers who fish for a diversity of freshwater fish. Swing by the booth to learn more about how to participate in these programs!
Wildlife Health
Wildlife health topics with a focus on panther health investigations, chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer, HPAI in birds, and turtle fraser virus (TFV).